Nudging for beginners

The Oxford dictionary defines nudging as “to push something or someone gently with your elbow to attract the person’s attention.”

In psychology, nudging is a concept that involves influencing people’s behavior and decision-making without significantly changing their incentives. It’s about (mostly subtly) presenting messages, choices, and preferences to (often subconsciously) steer individuals towards making certain decisions — while still giving them the freedom to choose otherwise.

Nudges are often used in public policy, healthcare, and organizational management to achieve desired outcomes while respecting individual autonomy. A plastic example of nudging is the painted fly in a urinal, which leverages our natural tendency to aim at targets. By providing a non-imposed focal point for men to aim at while urinating, it reduces spillage and helps maintain cleanliness in public restrooms.

But also as a marketer, a copywriter, or a business presenter, you can add a metaphorical fly to tweak the way your shape your website, text, or slideshow to significantly influence your audience’s perception, behavior, or decisions.

Here are a few techniques you might consider:

• Choice Architecture: Design your words or visuals in a way that highlights or emphasizes the options you want your audience to pick. Think of adding adjectives like best or preferred, or visual cues like bold fonts or a suggestive picture.
• Anchoring: Start your communication with a compelling statistic, a thought-provoking quote, or a relatable anecdote that sets the stage for subsequent decisions.
• Framing: Highlight the positive aspects of your proposition, product, or service. Focus on the benefits and outcomes rather than the features or technical details.
• Social proof: Leverage the power of social proof by showcasing testimonials, user reviews, or case studies that demonstrate the popularity or success of your product or service.
• Scarcity: Create a sense of urgency by emphasizing limited availability, exclusivity, or time-bound offers.
• Defaults: Position your preferred option as the most convenient choice for the audience. This may be your off-the-shelf solution architecture, a recommended white paper, or a highlighted ‘Buy Now’ button on your e-commerce page.

Nudging can be a powerful tool that helps you drive engagement, influence behavior, and ultimately achieve your business goals. But… always remember to use the above techniques in an ethical and transparent way to guide your audience towards choices that genuinely benefit them. Avoid pressure, manipulation or deception, because this will damage trust and credibility.

Footnote: I wrote this post with a little help from ChatGPT.

10 tips for creating effective content

The expression “Content is king” originates from a 1996 essay by Microsoft founder Bill Gates in which he describes the future of the internet as a marketplace for content. The original article was actually not about writing blog posts, creating presentations, or uploading videos: Gates wrote about the business model of selling information and advertising using the internet as a mass-market distribution channel.

Almost thirty years later, content is still king in on the web (and beyond). For getting revenue from selling books, music, and video (Amazon, Spotify, and Netflix’s origin). For making money through paid advertising, leveraging a vast user base, and sophisticated targeting capabilities (Google’s business model). But also for generating demand, and for nurturing and converting leads into customers. Because in the fast-evolving landscape of digital marketing platforms, channels, and tactics, content is the bridge that connects businesses to their audience:

• Content creates value: High-quality content brings value to your (target) customers by educating, entertaining, or inspiring them. When people find content valuable, they are more likely to engage with it and develop trust in the brand behind it.
• Content establishes authority: Consistently producing valuable content helps companies establish themselves as authorities in their respective industries. W) hen your (target) customers perceive a brand as knowledgeable and trustworthy, they are more likely to choose your products or services.
• Content builds relationships: Content allows brands to connect with their audience on a deeper level by addressing their needs, concerns, and interests. Through content, you can foster relationships with your (target) customers, leading to increased loyalty and advocacy.
• Content drives engagement: On digital platforms, content encourages interactions such as likes, shares, comments, and clicks, which are essential for building brand visibility and reach . It helps you stay top-of-mind and maintain relevance in a crowded marketplace.

Photo by Pxhere (CC0 1.0 DEED)

So, here are my 10 key points to remember if you want to create effective content:

1. Know your audience: Understanding your audience lets you tailor your content and messaging to their specific needs, preferences, and pain points. By knowing where your customers are in their buyer’s journey, you can provide relevant information and solutions that resonate with them at each stage, from awareness to consideration to decision-making.
2. Keep it simple, stupid: Digital content should be simple and, when possible, free of jargon to ensure clarity, accessibility, and engagement with a wider audience. Complex language and too technical wording can alienate or confuse part of your audience, hindering their understanding and discouraging further interaction with the content.
3. Think different(iation): Differentiation is essential to stand out in a crowded digital landscape, get audience attention, and distinguish from competitors. Unique, valuable content that addresses specific audience needs and preferences sets your brand apart, builds credibility, and drives engagement and loyalty.
4. Present case studies: Case studies offer concrete evidence of your brand’s capabilities, demonstrating real-world solutions and outcomes. They build trust, credibility, and authority. By showcasing successful experiences, case studies inspire confidence, help overcome objections, and guide prospects toward conversion.
5. Combine numbers and words: When you combine quantitative data for clarity and precision with engaging narratives for depth and connection, you can create content that not only informs, but also inspires and leaves a lasting impact.
6. Show the value: Content marketers should talk about delivering value rather than highlighting product details or features. As such, avoid hard selling and focus on providing valuable information, solving problems, and nurturing relationships.
7. Tell stories: A story can put your whole brain to work. It helps make the complex simple and make the message more memorable. Applying Aristotle’s ancient principle of ethos, pathos, and logos is a way to get your audience engaged beyond the rational and make them connect emotionally and/or ethically.
8. Don’t feed the chameleons: Don’t make your digital content look like a chameleon, that changes colors, style, and layout. Never compromise on the quality of language, layout, or visuals. Be creative. Be consistent. Be professional.
9. Create for multi-channel: Crafting content for multi-channel distribution maximizes reach, ensures accessibility across various platforms and media, and facilitates reuse. Leveraging multiple channels accommodates diverse user preferences, optimizes content performance, and enables a holistic audience experience.
10. Be authentic: As a marketer, you can draw from your personal experiences, emotions, and interactions to produce content that is not only relevant and engaging but also deeply authentic.

Even though Artificial Intelligence has made significant progress in generating content and continues to disrupt creative work, there’s still a human touch that AI simply cannot replace. Human marketers can bring empathy, cultural nuances, and emotional intelligence to the table — all essential for making content a kingpin in the marcom game to truly resonate with your target audience. Isn’t this what marketing is all about?

I have also created an infographic that summarizes this post. You may download the file using the download tab on top of this page.

Innovation before its time

In Belgium, the country where I live in, e-bikes accounted for more than 50% of all bicycles sold in 2023, and the global market is forecasted to grow from 43.32 billion USD in 2023 to a stunning 119.72 billion USD by 2030. But did you know that the first electric bike was already patented by H. W Libbey in 1897?

Not so long ago, Apple introduced the Apple Vision Pro, a groundbreaking wearable device that can transform any room into your personal theater. Apple Sold Over 200,000 units in the first 10 days, and analysts predict sales of up to one million units before the end of this year. But did you know that an early precursor or today’s 3D VR glasses were already prototyped by Hugo Gernsback in 1936?

As you may have never heard of Libbey’s electric bike or Gernsback’s Teleyglasses, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that none of these inventions really changed the world at that time.

When I take a walk down my own memory lane, I can tell you about a similar experience from my early career. In the early 1990s, I was part of the Alcatel research team that developed the world’s first video on demand system (VOD), trialed by British Telecom in 1994. While Netflix has a whopping 260 million worldwide subscribers today, the BT market trial reached only 2,500 UK households…

All three examples illustrate the phenomenon of innovations arriving (long) before their time, not fitting market needs, technology maturity, and economic criteria like production costs.

The above innovations were ahead of their time but did not gain traction due to (mostly) obvious reasons. The success of a product not only depends on its brilliance but also on the alignment of technology, cost, and economic or societal readiness.

H. W. Libbey’s electric bicycle (1897)

• Technology availability: While electric propulsion was possible, the batteries and electric motors available at the end of the 19th century were bulky, heavy, and inefficient, and had limited capacity. This l deimited the practicality and range of electric vehicles.
• Market readiness: During the late 19th century, bicycles were already popular and widely used. However, the demand for electric bikes was likely low due to factors such as limited infrastructure (e.g., charging stations) and the preference for human or horse-powered transportation.
• Economic criteria: The production costs of electric bikes in the late 19th century would have been prohibitively high due to the expense of batteries and electric motors. Additionally, the lack of mass production techniques would have further increased costs.

Hugo Gernsback’s Teleyglasses (1936)

• Technology availability: In the 1930s, the technology needed for creating immersive virtual experiences was rudimentary compared to today. Display technology, computing power, and transmission methods were not advanced enough to support widespread adoption of AR/VR devices. Most required components were bulky and power-hungry.
• Market readiness: The concept of teleyglasses likely did not align with prevailing market needs or consumer demands at the time. The entertainment industry was not sufficiently developed to support such a product, and as analog, black & white television was only demonstrated in 1927, people were not accustomed to the idea of watching TV through glasses.
• Economic criteria: The production costs of teleyglasses in 1936 would have been high due to the specialized components and limited economies of scale. Additionally, the lack of infrastructure for content creation and distribution would have hindered the economic viability of the product.

Alcatel’s Video on Demand system (1994)

• Technology availability: We used Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) technology to transport the video streams, as broadband internet access was not yet available. MPEG encoding was in its early days, and it took us six weeks to get a Betamax video tape converted to a transmittable format.
• Market needs: People were accustomed to visiting video rental stores to physically rent tapes. The convenience of browsing shelves and interacting with staff was hard to replicate online (a few years later, Netflix disrupted this business model by delivering DVDs by mail).
• Economic criteria: There was no blockbuster content as studios were cautious about licensing their movies and shows for digital distribution. Companies, like Blockbuster, earned substantial revenue from late return fees. VOD lacked this revenue stream, affecting profitability.

Sometimes, being ahead of one’s time can lead to visionary ideas that eventually shape the future, even if they don’t find commercial success at once. QED. Just consider today’s adoption of e-bikes, Apple’s Vision Pro, and Netflix.

Footnote: I wrote this post with a little help from ChatGPT and Copilot.

Strategy beyond numbers

“Tactics is the art of using troops in battle; strategy is the art of using battles to win the war.” – Carl Von Clausewitz, Prussian general and military thinker

In business, strategy involves setting your goals and determining the actions required to achieve them. Traditionally, forecasting and setting KPIs are two critical components of this process:

• Forecasting is the use of historical data, analysis, and insights to make informed predictions about what lies ahead for your business activities – by generating numeric data about e.g., volumes, revenues, costs, profits, and market trends.
• Key Performance Indicators or KPIs are quantifiable measures used to evaluate the success or progress of your organization’s key business objectives. Beside the forecasted numbers, tracked KPIs may also include performance metrics like customer lifetime value, conversion rates, or operational efficiency.

Together, forecasting and KPIs supply a framework for measuring progress, guiding strategic decisions, and driving business success. Both activities heavily rely on quantitative data.

Carl von Clausewitz (1780–1831), portrait by Karl Wilhelm Wach

But there’s more to strategy than just numbers. To make your business strategy 100% client-focused, you need to put the customer at the center of everything you plan and do:

• Clearly name who your customers are and ensure you understand your customers’ needs, wants, and pain points, and use this knowledge to guide your decisions and actions. You may use tools such as customer surveys, journey maps, and personas to gain insights into your audience’s perspectives.
• Share customer information and insights across the organization and empower employees to access and use these. You may use tools such as CRM dashboards, reports, and internal newsletters to disseminate that information.
• Develop a unique value proposition with messaging that resonates with your target audience. Focus on the unique benefits and features that make your products, services, and people stand out from competition. Use storytelling to connect with customers on an emotional level and communicate the value of your offering.
• Look for people in your organization who have a genuine interest in helping customers and creating positive experiences. Let them often interact with clients and learn from them. You can use tools like customer visits and net promoter score surveys to evaluate customer satisfaction. 
• Align employee compensation, benefits, and incentives to customer-centric goals and results. You can use tools such as bonuses, commissions, and profit-sharing to reward employees who contribute to customer success. 

By implementing the above actions and by making sure that every department and every employee understands the company’s direction and their role in it, enterprises can develop a customer-centric strategy to achieve long-term business goals.

Footnote: I wrote this post with a little help from ChatGPT and Copilot.

Numbers and words

Picture this: You’re gearing up for an executive presentation. The stakes are high — the fate of your new product or the acceptance of your customer proposal hangs in the balance. Of course, you’re armed with heaps of relevant data. But when should you rely on the hard facts and figures, and when do you call upon the power of storytelling to convey the message?

Image source: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Well, there’s no single answer but, when you combine the analytical power of numbers with the emotional resonance of words, you’ll create presentations that not only inform, but also inspire and leave a lasting impact.

When to prefer numbers?

• When you need to provide clear-cut insights or concrete evidence or measurable results.
• When your audience requires hard facts to make informed decisions about e.g. market sizing, RoI forecasts, product pricing, or test results.
• When you want them to compare different options, quantitative data offer a fair and unbiased way to present and weigh the pros and cons of each.
• When you want to demonstrate cause-effect relationships, numbers can illustrate the impact of certain decisions or the effectiveness of specific actions.

When to use words?

• When you want to connect with your audience, communicate messages effectively, make your presentation memorable, and inspire action, storytelling is a powerful and timeless practice.
• When you need to create understanding beyond rational thought, the story behind the numbers holds the key to humanizing data, fostering support, and unlocking deeper insights.
• When you opt for anecdotes, problem-solution stories, or firsthand experiences to help you grab attention, spark interest, and better convey your message or value proposition.

In conclusion, numbers and words are not adversaries but allies in the quest for effective communication. By understanding when to leverage quantitative data for clarity and precision and how to embrace engaging narratives for depth and connection, you can create impactful presentations that resonate even with the most demanding audience.

Related posts:

• Living by numbers (by me)
• No more naked numbers (by me)
• The duck and the rabbit (by me)
• The incredible lightness of numbers (by me)
• It’s the story, stupid (by me)
• Why storytelling is the new black (by me)

Footnote: I wrote this post with a little (but not too much) help from ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini.

Things in the mirror may be closer than they appear

“The future is closer than you think. You can pay attention now or watch the transformation happen right in front of your eyes.” — Nicky Verd, South African digital futurist and author 

Almost eight years ago, I wrote a post on this blog, “Moore’s law… and beyond” in which I explored how the intricate dance between technology innovation and value creation helps new products and services to cross the chasm. Much to my surprise and pride the World Economic Forum republished my article (unfortunately, some of the image links got broken over time.)

A good example of such technology-value synergy is the rise of Generative AI. This transformative technology isn’t just reshaping industries; it’s poised to redefine the very fabric of our society. Just as Moore’s Law paved the way for exponential computing growth, embracing AI may propel us toward new horizons.

Imagine a world where machines not only learn from data but also create entirely new content — art, music, literature, and even program code. GenAI, born from the loins of deep learning and neural networks, is that very world. It’s the wizard behind the curtain, conjuring up fresh ideas, remixing the mundane, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. The potential applications (as well as the risks of wrongful use) are boundless. But, without proactive advocacy and technology evangelism (and a critical eye,) part of its intrinsic value may remain untapped.

That’s why technology marketers (like me) should always keep an eye on the mirror. That’s why we should stay curious. That’s why we must champion nascent technologies before they hit the mainstream. That’s why we need to make our audiences aware of opportunities and threats. That’s why we must lay the groundwork for widespread adoption and societal transformation. That’s why our job is more than just chasing trends; it’s about shaping the future!

Footnote: I wrote this post with a little (but not too much) help from Microsoft Copilot, while the image was generated by Freepik AI.

How to prepare for a podcast recording

According to demandsage, there are about 5 million podcasts available globally, with over 70 million episodes, and an estimated audience of more than 500 million. The average listener spends a whopping 7 hours per week on their favorite podcast app, while one out of five tend to listen in more than three hours a day.

Photo by TheAngryTeddy via Pixabay

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just dipping your toes into the audio waters, preparation is key to a successful recording session. In this post I’ll give you a few tips about how you can prepare yourself for recording a podcast – regardless if you’re to deliver a one-person show or hosting a group conversation, their prep is not very different from that of a public presentation or a panel discussion.

Preparing for a solo podcast:

• Know (or research) your material: Your content is king. Whether you are discussing pizza baking, true crime, or space travel, make sure you earn the right to be listened to and be taken seriously.
• Outline your content: Before hitting the record button, take some time to outline the main points you want to cover in your episode. This will help keep you on track and ensure you cover all the important topics.
• Practice, practice, practice: Practice makes perfect! Rehearse your script or talking points beforehand to iron out any kinks and ensure a smooth delivery. Listen back, cringe a little, and improve.
• Check your audio tools: Make sure your microphone, headphones, and recording software are all set up and working properly. Test everything out before you start recording to avoid any technical hiccups.
• Create a comfortable environment: Find a quiet space with minimal background noise where you can record without interruptions. Keep your children and your pets at a good distance. Consider investing in some (semi-) professional equipment to improve audio quality.
• Warm up your voice: Hum, chant, sing, or recite tongue twisters. Your voice –and your listeners– will thank you.

Preparing for a group podcast:

• Coordinate with your guests: If you’ll be recording with multiple participants, make sure everyone is on the same page regarding the topic, format, agenda, and logistics of the episode. Schedule a pre-recording meeting or call to go over details.
• Assign roles: Determine who will be the host, who will take on guest roles, and any other roles that may be needed (e.g., moderator, tech support). You may even agree upfront on a devil’s and an angel’s advocate.
• Test your connections: When recording with remote panelists, do a test run to make sure everyone’s internet connection is stable and audio volumes are balanced. Ask them to use good quality headphones to minimize echo and acoustic feedback.
• Embrace natural conversation: While it’s important to have a plan, don’t be afraid to let the conversation flow naturally. Encourage participants to share spontaneous insights and accept that interruptions are inevitable.

So, get ready to unleash your inner podcaster, hit the record button, and let your podcasting journey begin.

Related posts:

• Plan and deliver ― your preparation (by me)
• A panel’s worth a hundred speeches (by me)
• Your audience may be virtual (by me)
• Presenting behind closed doors (by me)

Are AI tools the new wheels for the mind?

A few weeks ago, I read an article in Fortune that referred to an interview in which Steve Jobs talked about the personal computer becoming a bicycle for the mind.

The article argued that the effect of the use of laptops and smartphones on our brains – contrary to Jobs’ belief that computers, like bicycles, were tools that could greatly enhance human creativity, productivity, and communication – is similar to that of smoking and junk food.

Call it coincidence but later that day, when I was browsing my wardrobe, I came across a sweater I brought home from an Apple event that I attended in 1988 (!) when I was working at the university.

The phrase “Wheels for the Mind” was used as a slogan by the Apple University Consortium, which was a program aimed at attracting educational institutions to adopt Macintoshes.

While Steve Jobs was referring to personal computers, today, AI tools like ChatGPT can be seen as “wheels for the mind” in a similar way. Just as bicycles amplify human physical capabilities by allowing us to travel faster and farther with less effort, such tools can amplify human cognitive capabilities by providing quick access to vast amounts of information, generating creative ideas, assisting with problem-solving, and facilitating communication.

So far, my experience with GenAI has been positive (read my posts about how good is ChatGPT is at writing and about creating audience personas with generative AI,) but it would also be fair to say that the usage of GenAI tools may hamper creativity. In an HBR article “How Generative AI Could Disrupt Creative Work” the authors argue that applications like ChatGPT and Midjourney are threatening to upend the status of creativity as a uniquely human quality and could create a flood of cheap content that drives out human creatives.

The jury is still out whether AI tools are to be considered the new bicycles for the mind or will become zombie drugs for our minds. So, in the meantime, let us prepare for disruption and get comfortable talking to intelligent devices and apps. But let’s also be aware that misuse may cause homogenization of creative output, discourage learning, and eventually replace human ingenuity and creativity.

I E, E, and E

In the technology community, of which I am a proud lifetime member, IEEE stands for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. It is the world’s largest professional organization of engineers working in various fields of technology, including electrical engineering, electronics, computer science, telecommunications, and more. IEEE is known for developing and publishing standards, organizing conferences, and providing a platform for professionals to collaborate and share knowledge in the field of technology. Almost 25 years ago, I co-authored an article that was published in the prestigious IEEE Communications Magazine.

But when I’m putting on my business storytelling hat or my demo presenter cap, IEEE is getting a completely different meaning: I Educate, Entertain and Engage with my audience.

• When you educate your audience, you demonstrate expertise and authority in your field. As such, you will build credibility, inspire action, and differentiate yourself or your company from competitors, and foster trust and engagement while empowering informed decision-making.
• When you entertain your audience, you will captivate attention, enhance retention of key messages, and create memorable experiences. This will create an emotional bond with your audience, foster engagement, and make your presentation memorable, impactful, and enjoyable.
• When you engage with your audience, you create a dynamic and interactive experience, foster connection, understanding, and active participation. This will result in increased attention, retention, and effectiveness of the presentation.

As I wrote in an old post on this blog, think of a good business presenter as a creative singer-songwriter who’s performing a live song and entertaining his audience. I am sure that applause will follow.

Related posts on this blog:

• Five do’s and don’ts for speakers at B2B events (by me)
• Entertain. Educate. Engage. (by me)
• Thought leader or entertainer? (by me)
• About preachers, prosecutors, and politicians (by me)
• About folklorists, evangelists, and futurists (by me)
• About storytellers, storydoers, and storymakers (by me)

Creating audience personas with generative AI

Long time ago I wrote a post about creating personas for audience-centric story design.

Personas are fictional characters you may create to represent different user types within a target audience. They are used in various fields, especially in marketing, product development, and user experience design.

Typically, a persona description (minimally) contains:

• Name and demographic details.
• Job title and responsibilities.
• Goals and motivations.
• Challenges and pain points.
• Any other relevant details.

Identifying and fleshing-out personas will help you to personalize your presentation and build a audience-centric narrative that resonates with as many as possible ‘archetype’ people in the room. Putting yourself into the shoes of (some in) your audience will let you better understand what these people think, believe, do, feel, and need. And establish an emotional connection with them to tell a better story.

Obviously, persona creation can be done on the back of a napkin but, today, Generative AI has entered the scene and will let you create audience profiles in seconds.

Consider this very simple question you could ask a publicly available tool like ChatGPT, Bard/Gemini, or Copilot, and look at the answer you might get in return:

Of course, you can add more details to the prompt about the subject of your presentation, about the people and companies you expect to come listening to it, and about the profile information you’re interested in. The more you refine the questions you ask the chatbot, the more accurate response you will get from it.

As a cherry-on-the-cake, you may use an AI image generator like DALL-E 3, Midjourney, or Gencraft to provide you with lifelike but fake photos of Maria, Eric, Chloe, Samir, and Fiona…

Footnote: I wrote this post with a little (but not too much) help from ChatGTP, while I created Fiona’s headshot using Gencraft.